A ROOKIE fireman had to drive home in his shorts and T-shirt after being sacked just three days into his new career.
Marc Holebrook, 27, was dismissed after fire chiefs discovered he had eight undeclared points on his driving licence.
He was taken to a locker room at Greater Manchester Fire Service's training HQ in Manchester and ordered to remove his uniform. He was then escorted to the front door and asked to leave.
"It was humiliating, and took place in front of other recruits on my course," he said. "I had to empty my locker and they stripped me of my uniform. I left in a T-shirt and shorts. I was shocked."
His sacking stemmed from a faulty brake light on a car he had driven two years ago.
After he was stopped by police it was discovered he was not insured to drive the vehicle, owned by his mother. He was given points on his licence.
Marc, from Hazel Grove, Stockport, had been through extensive physical, mental and medical assessments and started a 13-week training course when told to leave.
'Trust'
To join the service he had quit a full-time job and had just moved into a new house with his girlfriend, who gave birth to their son nine weeks ago.
Marc, a former nurse and social worker, claimed he had no intention of trying to deceive the brigade. But he did not mention the points on his application as he did not consider he had committed a criminal offence.
Anita Wainwright, the brigade's director of human resources, for said: "While we sympathise with Mr Holebrook's position, any employment is based on trust and confidence and we expect honesty.
"Mr Holebrook failed to disclose his motoring offences on more than one occasion and had signed documentation stating he had never committed any. He was also aware any false statements would result in dismissal.
"Trainee firefighters are required to travel to and from work in their own clothes."
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Is this a story? 1) Employer discovers employee hasn't declared something which is vital to the position; 2) employer fires employee; 3) employee has to remove the uniform which is provided as part of the job. Seems fair to me. I wouldn't trust anyone who drives without insurance anyway.
The fire service need suing after making this lad go home without being dressed ,there was no excuse the fire service could have asked him to bring his uniform back later that day? and from a country that allow illegal immigrants (who we dont know what they have been up to?) to get jobs in places like the passport office ect ? and then we fire young men on a stupid excuse like a driving offence? the mind baffles?We should be glad that these lads want to work .But to dissmiss a lad from work on a stupid technicality like a drivng offence???we are a joke.
These actions seem a bit harsh but keeping information back is regarded as the same as lying and he did drive a vehicle he was not insured for. He must have known this and that it is a crime to do so.
Oh, well, he'll learn next time he has to declare information for a job. There will be other more honest recruits to take his place and I don't know why he is moaning about his treatment.
Driving without insurance is a serious offence, and it is no excuse to say he didn't think he was breaking the law. Let's not take the side of the politically correct liberal namby pambys - the fire service were 100% correct in what they did. Good on them!!!
I know someone who is on the course mentioned and would like to point out that if Mr Holebrook did go home in his t-shirt and shorts then it is not the fault of the fire service. They provide the Uniform to be worn only inside the Training centre and recruits have to travel to and from the centre in their own clothes then get changed when they arrive. So did he turn up to work in shorts & t-shirt in the first place!!
Driving without insurance is a criminal offence. If you break the law, no matter how minor or if it is a driving offence, a Police officer will still tell you it is still a criminal offence. You just don't get a criminal record, it's a record on your licence only. It's a popular misconception that driving offences are not criminal offences when they infact are. So in future think on, or something like this could happen to you too.
Ace Riley, what on earth have illegal immigrants got to do with the Greater Manchester Fire Service? Rules are rules and must be upheld at all times. Driving without insurance 'is' a criminal offence, ask an officer if you don't believe me. If we all stayed within the law, the country would be a better place. These laws and rules aren't there to be a pain, they are a result of of very many years of experience to make things better as a general rule. For example, people complain about speed cameras, but if your not breaking the law, they don't affect you, so the complainers are criminals, because they are breaking the law. Rules are rules and must be followed and this fireman will hopefully learn from this. Being sent home undressed is very questionable, although there may be more to this than he says.
Andrew, Manchester. as a few of you have rightly said that driving with no insurance is a criminal offence?tell me why then that lasy year that a manchester policeman had a accident and tried to get his girlfreind to say that she was driving the car and to compound the offence he tried to pevert the course of justice?and yet he kept his job as a policeman with the police? I think it could be double standards??????This makes what this young man did look very petty??
"A stupid technicality like a driving offence"??!! Firstly, he has committed a criminal offence, and secondly, he has lied to his employers. That said, there can't be much news around at the moment if this is the best the MEN has to offer.
Ace Riley, the last point you made is so right. I have seen time and time again where us mortals would have been banned and/or sacked and the Police get away with it almost everytime with just a fine. And they wonder why the public have no respect for the Police or the judicial system.
Give the lad a break he is obviously not a bad lad and deserves a 2nd chance!!!! Its pathetic really is yeah he did wrong but why not let him make it up to society!!!!
For the benefit of Ace Riley and Andrew, the case your talking about didnt go down well in the job,he should have gone
people like him driving without insurance make us all suffer im glad he got fired it seems more like a proper punishment, i wouldnt want him in control of an appliance woth thousands of pounds
Yet again GMC management demonstrate there prehistoric style.
Personally i blame the useless fire authority. They have absolutley no idea of Fire Service issues. Just turn up for their expenses and stick their hand up when told.
Of course they will all be going for the free [taxpayer] Xmas lunch on the 14 th December at HQ.
Firefighters will have to make do buying their own Xmas lunch and will not get the afternoon off to eat it. Unlike the officers and staff at Headquarters who go to a free party in company time.
Absolutely disgraceful.
I would rather rely on a firefighter with a criminal background ,rather than a policeman?? The policeman actually locks people up for being disshonest? the firefighter saves lives?So please all make your minds up? do we have a rule that says our police will be forgiven for criminal behaviour but our firemen will not?? have you all got short memories?? This lad wanted to be a fireman not a barrister or a policeman ?where i do agree that the police should not have any criminal record? "i have my own views why this police officer got away with so much?"
You are quite right Andrew of Manchester, this news item has nothing to do with illegal immigration other than that Ace Riley seems to be able to incorporate the issue of illegal immigration into the comments that he makes about any news item whether or not it is actually about immigration.
Greater manchester fire and rescue service are quite right to sack this person. He has deliberately misled them.
He drove without insurance...yep a serious offence but everyone deserves another chance. I bet none of you would ask him about his past as he pulled your kids from a burning house. HYPOCRITS.
re Ace Rileys and Andrews comments about the Police. Yes it is digusting that that Officer was not sacked because it reflects badly on the Force. However, it is the exception to the rule and the rest of the Force was told that there were exceptional circumstances surrounding this case. Whatever they may have been.
With driving offences now handed out with every 2 miles that you drive, does anybody actually consider them "Criminal Offences" anymore. Are there any people left that have not comitted a so called driving offence (parking included)? Sensible driver from salford excepetd of course.
The fire service would have looked rather foolish when this chap ended up crashing a fire engine. The is no way they they should keep him on after asking him the question in plain English.
1 incident 8 poimts? Something missing here?
Another example of only a half a story!
Dave, Oldham - why would a conviction for driving without insurance make it more likely that he would crash a fire engine?
Tom in Wigan, i understand your point, but i think myself and Ace were referring to case after case of officers speeding and being let off, even when not working. Whereas in the real world for the mortals, we are penalised heavily, unless we do something serious and the correct punishment is light. A bit crazy but true.
Wouldn't have minded seeing him in his undies.